NEGRIL, Westmoreland – Little London Primary won the Rockhouse Hotel Green Challenge Quiz for the first time at the 10th staging of the annual event held at Negril Branch Library last Thursday.

“We are very, very elated. We have been entering for a very long time but today [last Thursday] we came here to win, and we did just that,” Dania Clarke, one of the coaches of the winning team, told the Jamaica Observer West shortly after her school demolished Moreland Hill Primary in the final.

Clarke lauded the members of the quiz team, who she said, “really, really put in the work”.

Team captain Serena Davidson, was equally elated.

“I am feeling wonderful, I am feeling great, it is really a wonderful feeling and I am very happy, hard work really pays,” said Serena, as she held one of the winning trophies close to her chest.

The quiz, which aims to boost environmental awareness and conservational practices for students at the primary school level, has become an annual highlight in the calendar year.

This year’s seven schools — Little Bay All Age, Sheffield Primary, Negril All-Age, Mount Airy, Little London Primary, Moreland Hill Primary and Revival All-Age — participated in the much-anticipated competition in front of a fair-sized audience.

Each school was represented by a team of four competitors between the ages of nine and 12 years old.

Apart from being presented with the Green Challenge Trophy, which will be prominently displayed at the Negril Branch Library, Little London Primary also collected $20,000 towards their school fund and a trip to Kool Running’s Water Park.

Moreland Hill Primary, the losing finalist, received a trophy, $15,000 towards their school fund, and a trip to Dolphin Cove.

Mount Airy Primary, who came third, received $10,000 and a trip to Jamwest Adventure Park in Westmoreland.

And in addition to the quiz, students were invited to participate in an art competitionwhich called for works to be made entirely with salvaged materials.

Sheffield All- Age was adjudged the winner of that competition for presentation and imaginative creation.

Ruel Rowe, Rockhouse Hotel environmental manager, in stressing the importance of the competition, noted that the resort town of Negril, which depends heavily on tourism, has a very fragile ecosystem.

“The whole aim of the competition is to raise awareness in the schools and because the children are the future and for Negril to remain economically viable, Negril is a fragile ecosystem that depends heavily on tourism to thrive so most of the children here will probably end up working in the industry, so we have to preserve the environment for the industry to remain viable,” Rowe explained.

The competition was conceptualised in 2009 after the Rockhouse Hotel located in West End, Negril achieved Green Globe certification.